2011 Season of Grizzly Bear Viewing

The 2011 season was one of our busiest with lots of bears, a decent salmon run and lots of great guests. As always there are some we never want to see leave because we do have a lot in common and need more time to get to know each other. I always watch the guests as they climb out of the plane and wonder who they are, what are they like, why are they here, what is their story and most of all who are we not going to want to see leave? Some of the most difficult looking first impressions often turn out to be favorite guests as they become more comfortable with us. I always have to remind myself that our common bond to begin with is wilderness and wildlife, especially grizzly bears. From there we can begin. I am not long on words so tend to let the wilderness explain itself, with some explanations from my perspective. I do introduce our new guests to the cove and inlet with some history and background of the logging, cannery and the lodge itself. With a bit of luck we can often show our new guests a bear within an hour or so of landing and getting on the water. My payment is the joy that many of them express when they see their first grizzly bear. For many guests, this is one more tick off their personal bucket list. Many people have travelled the world to experience wildlife and the grizzly bear is considered one of the top of the world wildlife trophies to see in the natural world. I am very lucky to work in a place where we have excellent assurance of seeing one everyday.

There are some very good reasons why the bears are here and why our guests can be assured of seeing one. Guests spend hours of their time planning their trip and spend al lot of money in hopes of a close encounter with a grizzly bear.

The big motivation for bears to hang around the cove are the food resources. In the spring, sedge provides immediate nutrients and helps to maintain their body weight over the summer. As the tide ebbs daily, the bears move down the exposed beach to roll rocks over and slurp up intertidal life such as gunnels, insects, arthropods, shore crabs as well as mussells and barnacles.

Berries grow in the forest beginning in late June with Salmon berries and progressing through summer and fall with many others such as huckleberries, currants, elderberries and ending up with salal and Pacific crab apples.

Mating season begins in late May and through June so the bears know that there is a good chance of finding a mate here. It is always the most exciting season with many encounters with large males interacting with the females as well as the possibility of bear fights for dominance and the right to be with a favorite mate. This season we watched our favorite young bear get chased away from his mom so she could go off with Clyde. Peanut was a hesitant bachelor but caught on by salmon time. Next year we may get to see Bella chase her cubs off to begin the baby cycle over again. Hopefully Lenore will come home with a pair of cubs to see too.

Around this time of the season, the females bring their new born cubs down to the beach to forage as well. There are always plenty of oohs and aahs when guests see the little cubs. We run "name the cubs" contests at the lodge, (no cheesy names please) and it is always interesting to see the names that our international guests come up with.

Salmon season begins at the end of July and early August. Now is when the bears begin to pack on the weight they need to make it through another winter. The river mouth and the tree stand are favorite hangouts for the bears looking for the first salmon returns. As salmon become more numerous the bears move up river toward the spawning channel where they will become more concentrated.

Many other reasons help keep bears in the Glendale area. A small but safe no hunting zone keeps trophy hunters away from our bears. We continue to strive towards a hunting ban of coastal grizzly bears, but our government is very attached to the dollars these hunts bring in.

The forest and healthy river provide great food, safety, mating, hibernation and diversity of life habitat that the bears need for a fruitful, healthy life.

We continue to weigh the costs and benefits to the bears of being too habitualized to bear watchers. We strive to maintain safe observation distances, keep time schedules, and to stay on regular paths so none of the bears are shocked or surprised when we meet. We do not carry food or dump garbage that the bears may pick up and begin to associate us as a food source. We travel in groups, make a bit of noise and carry pepper spray as a deterrent if ever approached too closely by a menacing bear. We have never had to resort to that.

This season my guests and I have had many experiences with bears that we will all remember for years to come. From the comments in the guest book, we continue to be one of the highlights of most of our guests holidays. On Trip Advisor, Knight Inlet Lodge was voted #5 in the world as a destination. This is a designation voted on by our guests and one that we are all very proud of. It shows how hard we work for our guests and how successful we continue to be at giving our worldwide travellers a quality grizzly experience.

It's Often the Little Things

More and more often I am finding that the little creatures are making many of my tours memorable. We tout our trips to see whales, grizzly bears and scenery, but often times these top of the food chain creatures have their own agenda which may not agree with ours. Tide levels, food availability, timing and weather can all conspire against our best efforts to show our guests the highlight predators we all hope to see and cross off our bucket lists. Last week I had two tours out to Johnston Strait to hopefully see Orcas and Humpback whales. The weather worked with us, albeit quite heavy waves coming up the inlet with the inflow winds in the afternoons for our rides home. The tides were favorable to see some black bears grazing on the beaches and Johnston Straight flat as glass and sunny. Finally we spotted the Orca fins, inside the Robson Bight Nature reserve so we sat on the invisible border, guided by the GPS, and watched distant fins and vapor blows as the small Orca pod slowly swam up strait about 200 to 300 meters away. These sightings can try the patience of Job, so after about an hour of that, a bobbing lunch on the boat and a washroom break badly needed we headed for Telegraph Cove. No encouraging news blared out over the radio so we decided to head towards Billy Proctor's museum. Just across the strait lies Stubbs Island and the Plumper Islands. which is the mouth of Knight Inlet, where we spotted a Humpback Whale. We followed it at a respectful distance for half an hour or so then off we were again. A large flock of gulls were busily diving on the water so I decided to investigate that. Hundreds of gulls, scores of Rhinoceros Auklets and Common Murres were diving into a Herring Ball, feeding and screaming frantically over this bounty. I parked the boat about 50 feet away and shut down the big engines so we could all take in this spectacle. Soon the Bald Eagles joined in, scattering the gulls. The eagles lined up like at a busy airport, one after the other, gliding in and picking herring out of the water. None of us had ever seen such a feeding frenzy, such spectacular flying abilities or such numbers of birds all working to pick up an easy meal. For 10 minutes we watched , as the birds combined with the beautiful flat water and spectacular scenery held us spell bound. Suddenly from the dark depths rose a dark Leviathan, like an island emerging from the deep, a humpback whale spouted amongst the frantic birds. Another quickly followed, then a third whale rose to take in a mouthful of herring and just as quickly sink back into the depths. None of us could believe what we had just witnessed. Over and over the whales emerged to blow and eat, scattering the protesting flocks to the safety of the skies above. Even a few Pacific White Sided Dolphins joined in to feed. For half an hour we sat there quietly, taking in one of Mother Natures great events, a sight I am sure will stay with us all for a long time. We headed home, knowing that the little creatures of the strait had provided us, once again, memories for a highlight reel on our holiday and job. I get paid to do this!

Season 4 Highlights

My fourth season as a wildlife guide at Knight Inlet Lodge has just wrapped up for another year. This season was eventful in a lot of different ways. Once we think we have things figured out, Mother Nature throws us another curve or reveals more of her inner secrets. Thankfully, due in part to a mild winter and a huge pink salmon run in 2009, we were presented with a set of triplet bear cubs by a bear we call Bella. Their antics and drama were the highlight of many of our guests trips and the cause for more than one set of tears. We witnessed a wolf attempting to steal one of the cubs from Mom, but due to good training and obedience, the cubs all hustled up a tree when told to and Bella was then free to deal with this potential predator. We think that the wolf was more successful later in the season, as one of the cubs went missing in early September. There were plenty of oohs and aaahs as we were allowed into the estuary nursery to witness the three cubs contentedly suckling Mothers rich milk. Once full, the family curled up in a heap of bears to have their afternoon siesta. Lenore and Peanut also spent the season around the cove and we marvelled at how quickly Peanut grew and matured in his second year. These bear families stayed around the estuary all season as guests and guides alike enjoyed the curiosity of the cubs as they explored their home, constantly on the lookout for danger and food.

A pair of eagles added onto their nest in the corner of the cove and began setting early this spring. We watched patiently, waiting for the first sign of an eaglet sitting on the nest, however, it did not come to pass. After a month or more, the parents abandoned their duties and went on with their own lives. We wish them more success next year.

Mating season was exciting with Bruno, Pretty boy and two other male bears hanging around to create some excitement and choice for the girls. There seemed to be more boys than girls to us this year.

We had time to spend with the little creatures of the cove and the river this year. As the moms and cubs explored the shoreline we noticed many of the struggles that the local birds have daily. I was watching a merganser mother with two babies when suddenly an eagle settled into its predatory glide path to pick up one of those chicks. One of my guests suddenly and unexpectedly leaped to her feet and began waving her arms and yelling at the eagle. The eagle slammed on the brakes, hovered for a couple moments about ten feet above it's prey, trying to figure out this crazy human, then left to ponder the situation from the safety of a nearby spruce tree. It decided to try again and the woman once more did her dance and song in the skiff to the benefit of the merganser family. I and the rest of the guests did not know whether to laugh or chastise the woman for disrupting Mother Nature's greatest bird predator. She spoke only broken English, but her French was well understood by the marauding eagle who left to find less protected prey. The lady exclaimed in her best English, "Not babies, you can have fish, not babies!!"

As the tide begins to flood the estuary, sand lance begin to emerge from their muddy lair. Alert gulls, crows, ravens and eagles await this event daily, and we spent some time one morning observing this drama. We got the skiff maneuvered into the tiny channel in the mudflat amongst the screaming and diving gulls. The water was clear and shallow enough that we could see the fish squiggle out of the mud but lie or float helplessly for about a minute before finally coming back to their senses. In this minute was when the scores of birds were having their feast of fresh, stunned, sand lance. What drama happening in front of our eyes when from afar it seems as if the estuary is empty and boring.

Butterflies on foxglove, sapsuckers in crab apple trees, spider webs spun over huge distances are all topics for observation, discussion and wonder. A pair of Transient Orca cruised quietly into the cove one misty morning to the surprise and delight of us but to the chagrin of the dolphins and seals. Rain, fog, wind and sun all provided the everyday beauty and challenges due to too much or not enough, depending on your point of view.

Once again, the end of the Wild Salmon Odyssey of pink salmon run failed to materialize in the Glendale, unlike the record sockeye run in the Fraser River system.. We were not expecting a huge run, but we did expect more than the approximately 20,000 adults that did slowly arrive and disperse throughout the river and the spawning channel. It made for slim pickings for the salmon predators that depend on their healthy numbers for their own health and well being. The bears continuously paced the river shorelines looking for shallow water salmon or dead and weakened carcasses to eat. Some of the bears such as Lenore and Peanut adapted to eating barnacles and mussels on the inter-tidal shoreline. They along with Bella and her two remaining cubs spent hours digging rice root and other bulbs and roots from the sedge flats. All five bears looked to be in fine shape the last time I saw them near the middle of October, so they should be OK. The other bears appeared to be fat, but not overly obese, so I trust that they will continue to find fish until they finally go into hibernation sometime in November.

Our season opened and ended this year with The Vital Ground conservation group. They left us with their message: "Where the earth is healthy and whole, the grizzly can roam!" We wish the bears a good sleep and hope to see you next spring.

Guide Exchange to Norman Carr Safaris

After a week visit to London, England which we enjoyed very much, Fay and I boarded a British Airways flight to Lusaka, Zambia. Once we cleared customs and paid $50.00 each for our visa, we boarded a domestic flight to Mfuwe where we were met by our hosts from Norman Carr Safaris. Despite my protests, Aubrey, our guide, lugged all of our luggage to the waiting Toyota Land Cruiser that we rode, Clampett style, to Kapani Lodge. We were greeted by our hosts of this guide exchange, and wisked away to our very comfortable quarters. We freshened up in time for the drums to call us to lunch on the deck overlooking the ox bow lagoon. For the next three weeks we were catered to like kings and queens. We did two safaris per day beginning at dawn and ending with a night drive after dark. All the safaris were within the boundries of South Luangwa National Park, to see the wildlife we only formerly saw in zoos or at the circus. Every safari was an adventure, never knowing what was around the next corner or hiding in the grass beside the track. I now know what some of our guests feel like as I drive the boat up to a grizzly bear. I don't mind telling you that I felt quite nervous when our guides drove up to a leopard, lion or elephant. One elephant flapped it's large ears and trumpeted it's personal space boundry into Fay's heightened senses. She sat right beside me, for all the good that was going to do, but I enjoyed her faith. I did feel my own insecurity when our guides drove us up to within one leap of a leopard and lions. I became more at ease as time went by and the large cats paid us little attention. There is a magical beauty about being so close to the apex predators that we have all read about, no matter which continent we are on.

One of Norman Carrs specialties is the "Walking Safari." This is similar to our "tracking tours" we do at Knight Inlet Lodge, where we walk in the bush with the residents and predators. A guide and an armed scout lead us for a 3 or 4 hour walk through the bush veldt observing the animals, birds, plants and any sign that we come across. Our scout and our guide have had a lifetime experience in this wilderness and are walking encyclopedias of African information, lore and tales. On one of these tours, we came across a leopard kill hanging in a Leadwood tree. These experienced guides had never seen3 kills in one tree before, a puku and 2 impala. We decided we would come back after dark to try and catch the cat with the kill, but the cat had already taken one impala from the tree by the time we came back. We witnessed elephants tusseling, skulls and horns from past kills, and enjoyed the interpretation of our guides as we took in all the sights, sounds and smells. In the background is a steady cacophony of calls from doves, hippos, protective impala and birds. As much as the sounds are a part of the African bush, I never found it unpleasant.

The Luangwa River is the backbone of this ten thousand square kilometer park. The main channel is about 1/4 mile across when contained within it's silty banks, but swells to overflowing during the wet season in January and February. This annual flood is the rejuvenation of all the oxbows, waterholes and drainages of the flat valley. The backcountry is impassible with vehicles so boats are used for safaris. The wildlife are confined to high ground until the waters receed. Before the rains come, these same animals are forced to congregate near the river for the only water available.

I really enjoyed the architecture of the trees in this park. Stately and massive Baobab trees support colonies of bees and birds in it's huge crown. Light colored green Leadwood dies off to leave it's bleached skeleton to be used for nesting and roosting as well as firewood. Flat topped and thorny Acacia provide browse for giraffe and the Mopani trees are prefered by elephant. Giant fig trees, with their massive limbs, provide sweet fruit for baboons, birds and elephant. Elephant will eat anything it seems.

Luangwa park is a spectacular destination for birdwatchers from around the world. Over 400 species live or migrate through here, and I added 120 new species to my list. Stately storks, kingfishers, doves, ducks and geese, as well as ugly vultures and colorful lovebirds are just a few of the bird sights to see daily.

Snakes, lizards and crocodiles lurk in the lagoons and the river, keeping local fishermen alert and awake as they jig for their families meals. We saw python, spitting cobra, water monitors and crocs of all sizes. Just because they may be small, they will still take a finger off.

If ever anyone is interested in joining an African Safari with real bush experiences, blending the traditional and modern comforts of home, join Norman Carr Safaris. They are safe, knowledgeable, courteous and fun. The food is great, accomodation comfortable, drinks are cold, and the staff is accomodating to the highest standards.

Season 2010 Begins

The 2010 season began on Feb 22 with a thrilling ride under the fog and just above the water in a helicopter. Knight Inlet Lodge looked sound and secure as the dogs greeted us when we landed safely.

We quickly got the water and the heater turned on in our quarters . Our luggage was safely stowed and we soon had lunch ready. We were here early to begin the annual salmon out migration count. After last falls tremendous migration of pink salmon from the Pacific we are expecting very large numbers of fry. In the next couple days we were busy setting up the fry splitter trap at the Glendale River spawning channel and the rotary screw trap in the river, about a half mile downstream. There had obviously been some major high water events over the winter as there were new log jams and more erosion along the river banks. Hopefully these floods did not do too much damage to the salmon redds as they waited for their precious eggs to hatch.

It was unusual to catch the first fry before the end of February, but we did this year. The winter was warmer than normal so the eggs would have hatched a bit sooner. We had between 50 and 100 pink fry in the 5% box everyday in Feb. 100 fry equals about 2000 fry leaving the spawning channel every day. As the season progresses the numbers get bigg daily. The peak that I saw and counted was on March 26, when there were 64838 grams of fish at 3.79 fry per gram translates to 245,736 fry in the 5% holding box. That is potentially 1,149.845 pinks went over the weir in the past 24 hours. Many days toward the end of March were over 1 million fish or close to it. When I left on April 5 we had counted over 13 million fry which had left the spawning channel. This is quite a sight to see when you open the box and can't see the bottom for fry swimming around. Every scoop of the net holds thousands of fish. You can stand at the end of the weir and watch the fry resting in a holding pool trying to avoid the rushing water that leads them to the trap. They are not hurt as the waters take them gently through this obstacle, one of thousands they will encounter on their long journey. The river will be much more hazardous for them.

Downstream sits the RST, anchored to the river bank. This trap floats on top of the water, trying to monitor the salmon fry run in the river. It is not nearly as accurate as the weir because there are too many other channels that the fish can use. This year there is a new log jam just upstream from this trap, so that effects where the fry go in the channel. The one notable fact we see this year is the total absence of chum salmon. Normally we would have about 15 to 20 percent of the fry caught in the RST be chum. This year it is very rare to see even one chum salmon.

I also monitor the bird life that hang around the estuary for the winter. The highlight for me are the Trumpeter swans. This year there are 19 swans living in the river mouth. That is the same count as the previous two years. Mallards, Canada geese and common mergansers are the largest flocks of birds. 13 different species in the end of Feb. Mar 14 that number increased to 19, but there were only 2 swans left. I even saw one pied bald robin for the first time. By the first of April I noticed the first Common loons and the Barrows Goldeneyes had replaced the common goldeneye.

Pacific White sided dolphins and harbor seals were common visitors. I watched the seals feeding on herring around the quiet waters of the lodge. A sudden splash as the herring ball jumped out of the water trying to avoid becoming a seal meal often stopped us to watch this dramatic action. In the clear water we often witnessed the chase underwater.

We also spend some time getting the lodge ready for the season. Busses and equipment all have to be serviced and started. Supplies have to be checked out and ordered, firewood is cut and chopped, meals are prepared and dishes washed by ourselves. We are all very capable cooks, so it is fun to do.

For the first time, we raised a batch of Coho eggs over the winter. The local coho were caught and eggs stripped and fertilized then installed into the incubator. Over the long winter it was the caretakers job to make sure they survived. April 2 we turned them loose into the cap trough in the interpretive center for the summer. They even began eating within a day or so.

In the evenings, I have been busy editing my latest book. The publisher edited it once, sent it back to me for a bit of rewriting, then I sent it back. Only a couple minor changes the second time around and it is ready for the design stage. The Wild Salmon Odysey should be out this summer. Seasons of the Grizzly continues to sell with the new assistance of a distributor Sandhill Books.

I have also been counting the days to when Fay and I will head out on our first major holiday. We are going to London, then Zambia for a month. We are counting our dollars, cruising the internet, buying cloths and gear in preparation for this event. We are both very excited to be able to have this opportunity. This is a guide exchange with a camp called Norman Carr Safaris, so we get the freedom of their camps and will bring one of their guides back here when we come home. I think Aubrey is as excited as we are.

The lodge will open for the season on May 15, and I am looking forward to my fourth season.